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Monday, September 15, 2008

I interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to ask a question...can there be too much of a good thing?? I am contemplating this question as The Pulse goes on. And on. And on. I have been sensing that I am putting out information overload. There is certainly much to be learned from all these amazing, participating artists. But, no matter how good the professors might be, if the class goes on too long, the brain shuts down. And I wonder if there might be many of you out there who have begun to doodle, pass notes, and think about what you are going to eat after school. At least that is what my intuition is telling me.

This project has grown beyond my wildest dreams. The first survey, posted just 9 months ago, had 35 artists. The current survey has 95! With 7 total questions, that is 665 responses...and photos to boot! Based on emails from additional artists requesting to be part of future editions, the number of responses for the next project might be...well...you do the math!

I have a million ideas for more chapters of The Pulse, including future artist surveys. And as the project continues, I will likely be shifting the way in which the information is presented. That way all artists interested in participating can be included but the postings can be less potentially overwhelming. I see this as a work in progress.

From the start, The Pulse was meant to be collaborative. So please feel free to give me honest feedback and ideas about these issues, either via comments or emails. I am curious and would love to hear from you all regarding my intuition of "information overload" or with any other feedback and suggestions you have. Be my Pulse Rate Monitor and tell me what you think!

And now...we return to our regularly scheduled broadcasting. This week The Pulse presents 95 artists' studios in words and pictures. Find out where the magic happens!

27 comments:

I'm curious about EVERYTHING and an information junkie, so to me it's all good.I stop here first in the morning, even though you know I have to get over to get boys to school at the crack of dawn! The Pulse is the cream in my coffee (which I drink black)!sarah

Peronally I like the constancy of having a regular place to visit first thing in the morning. I sample a few and then move on, going back sporadically over the dayand look forward to the next morning for more!I think it's a pace we set for ourselves that might need adjusting.....

Seth,I love the concept and have enjoyed reading everything. However, I did find that some days, life was just busy and I'd see how long the post was and would mark it to come back later because I didn't have time to read it and didn't want to miss it. Maybe if there were fewer artist responses in each post using the same question over several days? I dunno'. If I have to take all of it at once or none at all, I'll take all of it. I really, really enjoyed reading it. It would make a great book! ;)

I love coming here first thing,and having coffee while reading everything--of course--I would do that if it was your art and writing or The Pulse. So, basically, I am no help at all!!

If you wanted to put the Pulse on "another" page, just go to a buried post, and edit that with Pulse info, then continue your normal blogging on the front page. Have a button or link to click for the people that want to read the Pulse...

But, it's completely up to you! I am going to be reading whether it's the Pulse, or your stuff, or both..and that's probably the general consensus that most people will tell you.

Please continue to do as much as you can do! I'm the gum cracking Grandma in the front row with a pencil behind my ear just waiting for more info- and what's wrong with doodling-isn't that an art form????? you're great-keep it coming! Carol

Seth you ARE definitely 'THE Pulse'! I was having some of the feelings you expressed, but wrote it off to being away on vacation mid stream in all of this exciting unveiling and trying to play catch up! The wonderful thing about blogs is that you can take it in as many pieces as you like at your own pace (if only I didn't need to sleep). I really admire your sensitivity, thought process, energy and talents! You have undertaken quote a lot here. Thanks SO much for that! AND you're already planning the next round = GO SETH!!!!

Hi Seth, I keep coming back. I get so involved with each entry and they are so mind-fulfilling..

I should have left comments but I was carried away!!! Lots and lots of information but I don't think it is too much..

I do like to savour it so I come back and forth whenever I get a chance.. Wish I was cloned to take it all in.. But I will get it all eventually and I look forward to that!!!... Thank you for your generosity!!

Hi Seth, I hope you will take this in the spirit it is intended - since I am wildly grateful and impressed with your work on The Pulse. But since you asked -

Like most readers here, I am a visual person - and when I read comments from an artist I want to be able to quickly relate it to his/her work. This format makes that tough, and has sometimes made me wish to read ALL the responses from a few people a day, to get to "know" individual artists, rather than every response to one question. That way every post would also have some eye candy.

I realize that's a major switch - but it would also help traffic since people may link to artist profiles more quickly than to questions.

It is over whelming on some days for sure. I usually have to read it on the weekend. I would like more images... I am a visual learner. But I also like the idea of you taking weekends off or even just do a topic per week and spread them out in smaller posts over 5 days. Weekly topic? maybe even have one that has no answers... but asks people that didn't get a chance to participate to give their answers in the comments.

yeah, Seth dude; First of all let me say you re flying by the seat of your pants here, presenting the pulse, so you will be discovering what works and what does not as you go. Thanks for being so transparent in your process, I admire that.

Now; here's a two things: One is that smaller, bite size posts on the same topic would be less intimidating for me to read, as others have said. We are all trained for the "browse"style of information gathering. and second..so many many times I have read an artist's response and have wanted to go to their blog, but the link was not on their name. Know it is more work, but I want the link so I can absorb more of that person as I read.

I have read the lot and thoroughly enjoyed it - but I haven't always been able to do it all in one go - there is a LOT of text on each post.

I agree with the previous commenter who said it would be nice to have everyone's names linked straight to their blog - but that would be a lot of extra work for you! Unless you had a little macro set up at the start of the process with "nicknames" for each artist that expand to their full name (including the a href link)

I also like the idea of a post at the end of each section that invites your readers who are not already participants to answer the question.

Seth, After your question of yesterday, I held a kind of brainstorm session on my own. Of course I was missing other participants' suggestions and the randomly mentioning of all weird ideas that might jump in one's mind. But as I read the comments I saw that some of my own suggestions have already been written, so I will leave it at that. As for me I have no problem with the present format, although there are a lot of words, but I consider it an online book already, that will have to wait till there is time, but like others said: absorb is the word, both in text and in pictures, this 'treasure' is always there for us. Thanks once again, I look forward to today's post!

OK, if I were going to complain, it would be about the pictures. Blogger doesn't limit the size and so I wonder why they are so small. Especially today's studio pictures. I would enjoying larger pictures. Otherwise, it's great!

While I personally am not feeling any need to pass notes (as it were) if you're sensing that that's the case (even if it's just for yourself) what about breaking it up every now and then with a "regular" post?

Oh Seth, I am loving The Pulse, but I do miss your art and writing. You are such a visionary, so creative and such a hard worker. When I first "met" you I thought you would own a gallery someday but now I think your calling might be much bigger...Back to the subject, I would like a direct link to the artist/blog and to be able to zoom in on the pictures, which are my favorite's.... along with what the artists say about them. Meanwhile, I will be back tomorrow... thank you so much for this amazing endeavor! Roxanne

Hi Seth. I LOVE the series. But it does get too long for me every day. My attention span is way more USA Today than NY Times articles! I was thinking a few days ago I needed to see fewer of these each day so I don't feel so overwhelmed. Information overload happens,ya know?

Seth, I think you have done a magnificent job with this. The only thing that I would like to see different is the artist's link to their blog in their answers. As someone else said that would make it much more time consuming for you. But I read the answers and I immediately want to go see their blog. I just enjoy reading about all these people and their ways of working.

I'm happy with things the way they are, Seth, but I do also miss your personal posts. With this many artists interested in participating, maybe a future Pulse could just be 2 or 3 questions long. Then it might be more practical to create links and to have more visuals. I don't get here everyday, and I am still working my way through the original artist links and all of their favorite blog links - but its such a pleasure to steal a few minutes to do it, like having dessert to look forward to.